My House Beautiful

My House Beautiful: Big comforts in living small

City councillor Kim Krushell relaxes in the living room of her ‘cosy’ bungalow with her son, Alex

Photograph by: Greg Southam

EDMONTON - Politicians live among us. In houses. With bedrooms and bathrooms, too.

Hard as that is to imagine, it is true. I know this because I visited Councillor Kim Krushell in her private estate north of downtown.

Actually, by ‘estate’ I mean house. And by ‘house’ I mean a 980-square-foot bungalow.

By modern standards, the Krushell home qualifies for any number of polite euphemisms: Quaint, cosy, snug — easy to keep clean; easy on the environment.

OK, it’s small.

What’s going on? Council remuneration isn’t princely, but it isn’t bad. And Krushell’s husband, Jay, is a partner at Witten LLP. Why not an estate?

The answer, it seems, comes down to a personal definition of house versus home. One is filled with meaning and memory; the other, more of a possession.

The Krushells bought their place when they were newly married and thought nothing of the size. They’d met as exchange students in Korea, where large families lived happily in tiny apartments.

Over the years, and after son Alex joined the family, they decided to renovate rather than move. The snugness forced them to be creative.

For example, the Krushells had the front door re-hinged to swing outward, creating space for a front entry, along with improved security.

A formal dining room was created in what was originally the master bedroom.

The master bedroom was moved downstairs, near the family room and Alex’s bedroom.

Even the table for the kitchen nook is notched on a diagonal to allow passage to the living room. Krushell laughs when asked about her tiny kitchen.

“I have to admit the kitchen has never been a top priority for me,” says the reluctant cook.

Yet the kitchen is cosy and functional. An iMac computer monitor is attached to the wall by a swing arm. There’s also a small TV. So they family can eat together, or consume the news while sitting at the nook.

The living room and family room host big comfy couches and some of the largest ottomans — ottomen? — in captivity. The gargantuan foot stools offer hidden storage and double as extra seating during large gatherings.

Carpets were taken out of several rooms in the house. The original hardwood underneath was refinished. The living room features a lovely curve-cornered cove ceiling and is splashed with loads of colour.

“We live in a winter city — I love colour,” says Krushell, who added Tiffany-style lighting to the room and a massage chair for aching muscles. Both Jay and Kim are fitness buffs, and Alex is a promising moguls freestyle skier.

All the furniture was bought locally, Krushell says proudly. She even boasts that she found her dining room table at Superstore and that some of the decor is by Winners.

“I’m not totally frugal,” she says. “But I do like getting deals.”

Most of the art in the house was created by relatives. Kim’s side of the family featured some prominent painters and photographers.

“The only time I’ve ever craved a bigger house was at Christmas,” she says. “It’s just too small now to do a sit-down dinner with all the family.”

But she says any downside of living in a smaller home is balanced by any number of positives. First, it is their home — their creation. For example, Jay hired a woodworker to create a M.A.S.H.-style wooden pole in the backyard with signs marking the distance to family, friends and places in family history or family travels.

The Krushells like the fact their home is close to their downtown offices. More important, though, is that they are situated in a community they adore.

They got involved early as volunteers with the community league. Now the couple knows most everyone in the vicinity by first name, it seems.

So the Krushells’ sense of community, family, personal history — their sense of themselves — is all wrapped up in this home of a house.

“I’ve never worried about keeping up with the Joneses,” says Kim. “It might have something to do with where I grew up — Laguna Beach, California. There, it was all about appearance.

“But we’re not staying in this house to make some kind of statement, either,” she adds. “We have a hot tub. We have air conditioning. And we spend money on travel.”

Besides, says Krushell, a bigger house would mean two things: She’d have a big kitchen and the pressure that goes along with it.

“And we’d need to get a cleaner for sure.”

Scott can be reached by email at Scott@ScottMcKeen.ca for comments or suggestions for future features on unique, interesting or beautiful homes in the Edmonton region.